Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel, has called for the automation of pension funds of its workforce through the Electronic Banking System, saying that the measure would ease the difficulties retirees encounter in accessing their entitlements.

The Governor made the call while exchanging views with Executive members of the Committee of Electronic Banking Industry Heads of Nigeria (CeBIH) who called on him at the Government House, Uyo.

He announced that he has open up discussion with the Nigerian Pension Commission (NPC) to evolve a fault prove pension scheme that would be embraced by the workforce and explained that the electronic banking system creates easy access for a worker to access his contributions as well as engage in other future plans.

“I have discussed with the Nigerian Pension Commission (NPC) and they said we should first of all embrace the contributory pension scheme. I discovered that some public servants wait for retirement before thinking of building a house. This put so much pressure on them, but with the contributory pension scheme, people can plan their finances ahead of time,” The Governor stated.

Governor Emmanuel explained that the e-banking system will facilitate payment of salaries and the use of credit cards as means of transactions and that the system provides for convenience in transaction as well as reduce the incidence of theft. He decried the current practice of using cash instead of the automated card system for every transaction and called on the committee to sensitize the people on the benefits of the innovation, stating that it has been used in conventional transactions.

The Akwa Ibom Governor used the occasion to draw attention of the committee to pockets of complaints on the application of Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), stating that some people, particularly civil servants, in the last couple of weeks, have been unable to withdraw from their accounts and called on the financial institutions to also incorporate manual means of verifying people’s accounts through the use of incidence form.

The state Chief Executive called on financial institutions to partner with the state government in combating crime, stating that one way of achieving this is by donating vehicles to boost surveillance. He commended the committee for the choice of the state in their annual retreat and assured them of a happy stay during the event.

Earlier, the Chairman, E-Banking Committee, Mr. Ayotunde Kuponiyi, stated that the committee, which came on board in 2008, has the objective of fostering the growth of electronic banking system in the country.

He said that the Committee plays an advocacy role alongside the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), on the current cashless policy of transaction and particularly commended the Governor for the development strides witnessed in the state.

Mr. Kuponiyi pointed out that the vision of industrialization which forms the bedrock of the administration’s blueprint informed the choice Akwa Ibom State for the E-Banking Retreat slated for December 3rd, 2015. He expressed appreciation to the Governor for hosting them and promised to partner with the administration in its development strides.

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Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel (middle), his Deputy (extreme left), Chairman, Committee of E-Banking Industry Heads of Nigeria (CeBIH, Mr. Ayotunde Kuponiyi (left), Head, Cards and E-Banking, Ecobank Plc, Uju Umeh and Vice Chairman and Head of E-Banking, Wema Bank, Dele Adeyinka, during a courtesy visit to Governor Emmanuel at Government House, Uyo.

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel presenting a memento to Chairman, Committee of E-Banking Industry Heads of Nigeria (CeBIH), Mr. Ayotunde Kuponiyi, during a courtesy visit to Governor Emmanuel at Government House, Uyo.

Source: AKSG Team New Media

Nice one from my able governor.

This man is doing things without making too much noise.